The present invention relates to a buckle for connecting a personal adornment band such as a watchband and a bracelet to connect the band into a ring.
There is known a buckle used for a personal adornment band such as a watchband and a bracelet, which is unlocked by pushing push buttons.
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of one example of such a buckle for connecting a pair of watchbands of a watch. The buckle, which is called a triple-folded buckle, has a lower plate 2 connected to a band 1, a middle plate 3 connected to the lower plate, and a surface cover 5 as a supporting member connected to the middle plate and to another band 4. A pair of push buttons 6 are slidably mounted in the surface cover 5 in the lateral direction of the band.
Referring to FIG. 23, the opposite push buttons 6 and elastic members (not shown) for respectively outwardly urging the push buttons are housed in a box-shaped housing frame 7. Each push button is mounted in the frame 7 so as not to move out therefrom by a stopping means not shown. The housing frame is disposed between opposite side walls 5a of the surface cover 5, and a manipulating portion 6a at the outer end of each push button 6 projecting out from the housing frame protrudes out of an opening 8 formed in the side wall 5a of the surface cover.
When the triple-folded buckle is folded, a hook formed in each push button urged by an elastic member engages with a lock member 9 formed on the lower plate, so that the surface cover 5 and the lower plate 2 are engaged, thereby locking the buckle in the closed state.
When the manipulating portions 6a of the push buttons are pushed by fingers against the urging of the elastic members, the hooks of the push buttons are disengaged from the lock member 9 so that the engagement between the surface cover and the lower plate is released. Thus the buckle is unlocked, becoming able to be opened again.
In such a buckle, since the manipulating portions 6a project out of the surface cover, the push buttons may be depressed when contacting a foreign object. Hence there is a problem that the buckle is inadvertently opened.
Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3037381 discloses a buckle which overcomes such a defect to a certain degree. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the buckle.
The triple-folded buckle has a surface cover 10 having an opening 11 extending from an upper surface of the surface cover to a lower edge along a side surface thereof. An end of a push button 12 is exposed in the opening.
Thus, since the push button 12 does not protrude out of the surface cover 10, the danger of push button being inadvertently depressed is obviated.
Since a recess is formed in the upper surface of the surface cover, a finger of the wearer can be easily inserted through the recess. Hence as shown in FIG. 25, even the push button which does not project out can be easily depressed.
However, the buckle disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3037381 still retains the danger of the push button being inadvertently pushed. More particularly, since the opening extends from the upper surface to the lower end of the side wall of the surface cover, the push button is largely exposed from the side of the surface cover. Hence when an external force is exerted from the side, there is still a danger of the push button being unexpectedly depressed.
In addition, for the ease of pushing the push button with the finger, it is necessary for the push button to have a certain thickness. Therefore, the push button in the above described buckles is produced by machining a thick metal plate by such operation as cutting and pressing. Thus the machining cost is increased, resulting in increase of the manufacturing cost of the buckle.
Moreover, the conventional buckle has various structures for slidably supporting the push buttons in the surface cover as a supporting member. However, there has not been proposed a simple structure where the push buttons are prevented from falling out without fail.
For example in the buckle of FIG. 22, when the push buttons are pushed inside the surface cover, the push buttons may fall out of the surface cover.
In addition, in the buckle of FIG. 24, the housing frame wherein the push button is housed is mounted in the surface cover 10 by spring-loaded pins 14 and 15. Hence the structure of the surface cover becomes complicated, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost.
In addition, a space for the spring-loaded pins becomes necessary so that the surface cover is enlarged, thereby rendering it impossible to provide a compact buckle.
Furthermore, since austenitic stainless steels including nickel which have been heretofore used, are liable to cause metal allergy on skin to which it contacts with, metals which are less liable to cause metal allergy have recently come to be used in personal adornments including buckles. Such metals include titanium, titanium alloys, non-nickel-containing metals such as ferritic stainless steels, and stainless steels having a low percentage of nickel content. However, when these metals are used in push buttons, the repeated contact of the push buttons with the engaging members causes the contacting portions of the push buttons and the engaging members to be quickly abraded, so that the worn and deformed push buttons and engaging members become difficult to engage each other. Thus the buckle cannot be locked.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-255511 teaches the selective use of different metals when applying metals which are not apt to cause metal allergy as two members which repeatedly contact with each other in a buckle for a watch. However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-255511 gives no solution for a buckle with push buttons.
Accordingly, the objects of the present invention are:
(1) to provide a buckle wherein the danger of the push buttons being inadvertently depressed is decreased;
(2) to provide a buckle where machining cost is small so as to be inexpensively manufactured;
(3) to provide a buckle having a simple and space-saving structure which is capable of supporting the push buttons in the housing; and
(4) to provide a buckle which is unlikely to cause metal allergy to a user and having a high durability even over extended use.
According to the invention, there is provided a buckle for a personal adornment band comprising, a supporting member having an opening and connected to an end of the personal adornment band, a push button slidably mounted in the supporting member, and having a manipulating portion and an engaging portion, a lock member provided in the buckle so as to be engaged with the engaging portion of the push button, an elastic member provided in the supporting member for urging the push button toward the opening wherein, the push button urged by the elastic member is engaged with the lock member to lock the buckle in a closed state, the push button is disengaged from the lock member when the push button is depressed against the urging of the elastic member, characterized in that the opening is formed by cutting a side wall of the supporting member from an upper plate of the supporting member, thereby leaving a remaining portion at a lower portion of the side wall, and the manipulating portion of the bush button is exposed in the opening.
In accordance with the present structure, even if an external force may be unintentionally exerted from the side of the supporting member, the push button is blocked by the wall remaining portion so that the external force is not applied to the push button. Thus the danger of the buckle becoming released by inadvertent depressing of the push button is avoided.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a buckle for a personal adornment band comprising, a supporting member having an opening and connected to an end of the personal adornment band, a push button slidably mounted in the supporting member, and having a manipulating portion and an engaging portion, a lock member provided in the buckle so as to be engaged with the engaging portion of the push button, an elastic member provided in the supporting member for urging the push button toward the opening wherein, the push button urged by the elastic member is engaged with the lock member to lock the buckle in a closed state, the push button is disengaged from the lock member when the push button is depressed against the urging of the elastic member, characterized in that the manipulating portion comprises an upright portion and a folded portion extending inward from the upright portion and has a substantially L shaped section.
In accordance with the present structure, the push button can be easily manufactured by bending a plate member. Since the thickness of the manipulating portion can be increased, the push button can be easily depressed with a finger. An inexpensive push button can thus be manufactured while still retaining the operability of the push button.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a buckle for a personal adornment band comprising, a supporting member having an opening and connected to an end of the personal adornment band, a push button slidably mounted in the supporting member, and having a manipulating portion and an engaging portion, a lock member provided in the buckle so as to be engaged with the engaging portion of the push button, an elastic member provided in the supporting member for urging the push button toward the opening wherein, the push button urged by the elastic member is engaged with the lock member to lock the buckle in a closed state, the push button is disengaged from the lock member when the push button is depressed against the urging of the elastic member, characterized in that a guide housing for housing the push button and the elastic member is provided, and the guide housing is supported by projections projecting from inner walls of the supporting member.
In accordance with the present structure, not only can the push button be supported in the supporting member in a simple and space-saving manner, but also the push button is reliably prevented from falling out.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a buckle for a personal adornment band comprising, a supporting member having an opening and connected to an end of the personal adornment band, a push button slidably mounted in the supporting member, and having a manipulating portion and an engaging portion, a lock member provided in the buckle so as to be engaged with the engaging portion of the push button, an elastic member provided in the supporting member for urging the push button toward the opening wherein, the push button urged by the elastic member is engaged with the lock member to lock the buckle in a closed state, the push button is disengaged from the lock member when the push button is depressed against the urging of the elastic member, characterized in that the manipulating portion of the push button is made of a metal unlikely to cause metal allergy on skin, and an abutting portion abutting against the lock member is made of metal different from metal of the manipulating portion.
In accordance with the present structure, since a metal unlikely to cause metal allergy on skin is used for the manipulating portion which contacts the skin, the danger of causing metal allergy to the wearer of the personal adornment band is decreased. In addition, for a hook which contacts the engaging portion of a lock projection, a metal having a high durability against abrasion and bending can be employed. Hence, a durable buckle which do not cause the wearer metal allergy is provided.